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In talking to Cousin McKinley Banks he told me some things that Grandma Ann Walker had told him. I will try to document exactly what he told me. Cousin Mckinley please correct me if I have gotten any thing wrong.
Ann Walker said that she was born around the Charles City VA area and was Cherokee. This the home of the Chickahominy who were Algonquin Native Americans closely related or aligned with the Cherokee. She said that she was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery in Brunswick Co. I’m not sure of the plantation. After slavery she lived in the Charlie Hope in Brunswick Co, which I believe was a tri-racial community. She married Rufus Travis and moved to Greentown. She was a medicine woman in Greentown and concocted many remedies to cure people in the community.
Looking at other relatives in the family tree she seems to have been born around the 1830 time frame. Cousin McKinley talked to her as a boy so we may be able to get an idea of her birthday from him
In what sense do you mean that the Chickahominy were closely related to the Cherokee? Their languages would not have been anything alike, assuming that the Chicahominy spoke an Algonquin language, nor would their culture, except in a very broad sense. Nor are they geographically close. I’m not sure I understand what you mean here.
Hello Forest, nice to see you here. You know what? I don’t think I posted that. I think Barry must have, since I never personally talked to his cousin McKinley about Alice Walker. It’s from March of this year.
Do you know what tribe would have been in the Charles City area last? Can you see any explanation for the Cherokee report, or is it likely to be one of the mis-identifications that are so common. That’s the main thing we’re trying to figure out with Alice. If I’m correct, part of the story she told was that she was living on a reservation when kidnapped, yet there’s some documentation that she was born in Charles City. Barry, is that correct?
While I’ve got you, maybe you can help me with something I was just asking GC about. I want to see if I can find an ancestor who I believe was an apprentice in MD ca. 1800. What kind of records would I be looking for, and where would I find them? GC said you’re the man to ask.
hey all –
on chickahominy –
Actually, not surprised to see Chickahominy / cherokee issue raised.
unrelated completely – error noted in transcription.
but, chickahominy well establlished as Charles City natives forever. racial lines blurred significantly here in the 1750 – 1900 time frame, as did tribal entities.
Pamunkeys and Mattaponi appear to have gone back and forth in the new kent charles city area with chickahominy.
however, the chickahominy have no land reserve as of 1812 and continued to be obscure through the mid 1800s with the two reserve tribes being prominent. they have there time and reorganize in early 20th century – with some division (2 bands). however local stigma pervades due to “indianess” issues created by jim crow laws and Plecker at Vital Statistics.
Always known as a Charles City indians, some black or triracial indians did not choose to be counted or enrolled with chickahominy. Some individuals still struggle with this descision today. additionally, some have tales of being cherokee and not chickahominy at all.
mostly poor identification and lack of serious interest / research / denial on their part. There are serious division here – and could be the root of mentioned oral histories on this post.
i do know two oral traditions concerning “cherokee” indians amongst these groups in the late 1800s and early 20th century however. any interested parties reply on surnames of King, Davis, Beavers, Custalow and possibly Almond / adams.
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